Trimming machine



Oct. 14, 1941. FOLLANSVBEE I 2,258,602

' TRIMMING MACHINE Filed March 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet? I Y E Patented Oct. 14, 1941 TRIMIMING MACHINE .Merrill N. Follans bee, Beverly, Mass., assignor to. -United' Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jere Application March 15, 1940, Serial N0. 324,156

9 Claims.

This invention relates to trimming machines and is illustrated as embodied in a machine for trimming the edge of an insole attached to a last. In the manufacture of some types of shoes, it is the usual practice to die out the insole so that its forepart will fit the last and so that the heel seat will be somewhat longer and wider than that of the last. After'the insolehas' been attached to the last, the heel seat is trimmed so that it will conform to that of the last.

One object of the present invention is the provision, in a machine for performing this operation, of an improved last support which insures the proper presentation of a last and an attached insole to the trimming cutter regardless of the size of thelast while requiring less skill on the part of the operator than must be exercised in present day machines.

In accordance with one feature of my invention, the last support is formed as a rigid U- shaped frame'pivoted' about an axis parallel to and below the axis of rotation of the cutter, with the arms of the frame extending upwardly toward the'cutter. Rotatably carried at the upper end of one of the arms is a heel-seat-engaging member which is adjustably fixed against axial movement thereon, and rotatably carried. at the upper end of the other arm of the U-shaped frame in axial 'alinement with the heel-seat-engaging member is a last-engagin member which is slidable toward and away from the heel-seatengaging member for clamping a last and attached insole in the U-shaped frame. By so mounting the heel-seat-and last-engaging members, no portion of the supporting structure obstructs the operators vision of the work as it is being trimmed, and, since the heel-seat-engaging member is fixed against axial movement, this I member acts as a gage for insuring that the heel seat of the attached sole will always be in the proper predetermined plane regardless of different sizes of lasts.

In order to insure the proper predetermined location of this plane, provision is made for adjusting the U-shaped frame about a pivot which is at right angles to the axis of the cutter shaft and for adjusting the heel-seat-engaging member endwise.

These and other features of the invention, including certain details of construction and combinations of parts, will be described as embodied in an illustrated machine andpointed out in the appended claims. I

In the drawings, Fig. 1- is a front'elevation of the upper portion of a machine in which the invention is embodied;

Fig. 2 is a left side elevation of the upper portion of the machine showing in broken lines a sole in the process of being trimmed;

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in section, on a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2 of the heel-seat-engag-.-

ing member;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 1v 1v of Fig. 1' u and the scale of Fig. 3; and.

Fig. 5 is a view of the cutter acting upon a sole attached to a last, with the sole and a last to which it is attached held between the heel-seat and the last-engaging members.

The machine illustrated is provided with a cut-' ter l0 and a shield l2 (Figs. 1 and 5) mounted at the outer end'of a shaft l4 journaled in the upper end of a column IS. A guard 18 partially surrounds the cutter, this guard including a cylindricalportion 20 surrounding the shaft I 4 on which it is supported. A guide 22 is provided for engagement with the lateral surface of a last adjacent to the heel seat as indicated in Fig. 5, this guide including a lip 24 to hold the edge of the sole outwardly of the last during the trimming operation. The guide 22 is adjustably mounted in a frame 26 (Fig. 2) which is mounted on a pin 28 for swinging movement so that the guide may be swung outwardly away fromthe cutter to permit removal of the cutter. The pin 28 is mounted in a bracket into which is also threaded a screw 38 passing through a hole inthe frame 26. To look the frame 26 with the guide 22 tive position, a plate 40 passing through a slot in the side of the frame passes under the head of the screw 38. v

For supporting a last and attached insole for presentation to the cutter ID, a supporting frame 40 is provided, this frame being U-shaped as indicated in Fig. 1 and including upwardly extending arms 4| and 42. The frame 40 is journaled on a pin 43 extending substantially parallel to the cutter shaft 14 to permit movement of the upper end of the frame toward and away from the cutter. The pin 43 is mounted in the upwardlyextending parallel arms 44 and 46 of a support 48. Extending upwardly from the arm 44 of the support 48 is a pair of spaced arms 50 and 52 (Fig. 2), these arms being located at opposite sides of the frame 40. Screws 54 and 56 passing through hte upper ends of the arms 5|] and 52 form adjustable stops for limiting the swinging movement of the frame 40 about the pin 43. The frame 40 is normally held by gravity against the pin 56 in which position the last supported thereby is at a distance from the cutin opera-' the bracket 68 at opposite sides of the pin 62 and are arranged to engage the under side of the support 48 to hold the support in adjusted position i 1 against movement about the pin 62. 7 If desired,

however, these screws may be backed off to permit limited swinging movement of the support 48 about the pin 62 so that the frame 40 may be swung in a plane parallel to the axis of the cutter shaft I4; but normally these screws will be so adjusted as to prevent swinging movement of the frame 40 in this manner.

A heel-'seat-engaging member 80 (Figs. 1 and 3) is supported at the upper end of the arm 42 of the U-shaped frame 40. The heel-seat-engaging member includes a sleeve portion 82 terminating in a head 84 in which are mounted a plurality of pins" 86 spaced around the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 82, these pins being arranged to penetrate the heel seat of the insole as shown in Fig. 5. The sleeve 82 is provided with a tapered bore 88 in which is received the correspondingly tapered end'of a shaft 90 supported in a bracket 92 which is in turn slidably supported at the upper end of the arm 42. A screw 94 passes through a slot 96 in the bracket 92 and is threaded into the arm 42 to secure the bracket against movement with respect to the arm. The shaft 90 carries a ball bearing 98 which engages one end of the bracket 02 and a collar I00 secured to the outer end of the shaft 90 engages the other'end of the bracket 92 and cooperates with the bearing 98 to prevent endw'ise movement of the shaft with respect to the bracket.

For holding a last and attached insole against the heel-seatengaging member 80, a last-engaging member I82 is'slidably mounted at the upper end of the arm M of the supporting frame 40 in axial alinement with the axis of rotation of the heel-seat-ehgaging member. The last-engaging member comprises a last pin I04 mounted in the end of a housing I06 (Fig. 4). A head I08 formed at the inner end of the last pin I04 engages a shoulder H0 in the housing I06 and a set screw I I2 passing through the housing engages the last pin to secure the last pin in place. A collar II4 mounted on the last pin I04 engages the outer end of the housing I06 and is arranged to engage the cone of a last when the last pin is moved toward the heel-seat-engaging member 80 to clamp the last and attached insole thereagainst.

The housing I06 is rotatably supported at the outer end of a shaft II6 by means of ball bearings --I l8 and I20; these ball bearings being held at the end of the shaft II6 by a collar I22 and a screw I24 which'forces the bearings against a shoulder I26 on the shaft I I6. The ball bearings are maintained in spaced relation by a sleeve I28 surrounding the shaft II6. The housing I06 is maintained on the outer races of the ball bearings by a spring clamp I30 engaging the bearing H8. The housinghas an internal shoulder which bears against the outer race of the bearing I20 and accordingly the housing is maintained against endwise movement with respect to the bearings.

A sleeve I32 is slidably mounted in the upper end of the arm M and at its outer end is provided knob I36 is pinned to the outer end of the shaft II6. In order to move the sleeve I32 and the shaft I I 6,as a unit toward the heel-seat-engaging 'member80, a handle F38 (Figs. 1 and 2) is provided. This handle is pivoted at I40 to the upper end of the arm 4| and is connected by links I42 and I44 to a plate I46 (Fig. 4), this plate being in turn secured by screws I48 to the collar I34 so that it is rigid with the sleeve I32. When the handle I38 is moved from the broken line position of Fig. 1 to'the full line position, the sleeve I32 and shaft II6 are moved toward the right, thus causing movement of the last-engag ing member I02 to clamp a last and attached insole against the heel-seat-engaging member The last-engaging member I02 is normally. maintained in a retracted position in which the handle I38 assumes the broken line position of Fig. 1. For this purpose; the handle is provided with an extensicn l52 to whichis connected a tension'spring I54 the lower end of which is connected to a threadedpin I56 fixed to a bracket I58 extending laterally from the arm 4I of the supporting frame 40 by a nut I60. The spring I54 acts to urge the handle I38 in a counter-' clockwise direction about the-pivot I40 (Fig, 1) to the broken line position. In order to limit move-- ment of the handle I38 by the spring I54, an adjustable stop screw I62 (Figs. 1 and 2) is threaded into:a lug I63connected to the extension I52 of the handle I38 and arranged to engage the surface I64 of the arm 4I. Thus, when the handle I38 moves to the broken line position of Fig. 1 the innerend of the stop screw I62 engages thesurface I64 of the arm M to prevent further movement of the handle I38 in this-direction.

A hood I'I0 surrounds the rearward portion of the cutter I0 and a larger hood H2 is located be low and rearwardly of the cutter. may be connected to a source of suction so as to. collect and convey away the material removed from the insole by the cutter.

In using the machine, the support 44 will normally beheld against movement about the pin. 62- by the stop screws 74 and I6. By movingthese screws in opposite directions, the support 48 may be tiltably adjusted about the pin 62 to obtain the proper angular relationship of the heel-seat-engaging vmember 80 and the. rotary cutter I0. may be presented in the proper plane to the c'ut-. ter, the heel-seat-engaging member may be adjusted lengthwise with respect to the cutter by loosening the screw-94 and adjusting the bracket 92 with respect to the arm 42 of .the supporting. frame 40. When the heel-seat-engaging mem-. her is properly located, each sole will be-presented to the cutter in the same plane thus insuring uniformity in trimming.

In placing alast L with its attached insole I in the supporting frame 40, the frame will be in the position shown in Fig. 2, to which position it moves by gravity when permitted by the operator. The position assumed by the supporting frame at this time may be controlled by adjustingthe These hoods In order that the sole to be trimmed stopiscrew 56 against T which lthel'frame bears. The last is placed over the last pin I04 which at this'time is held in its retracted position by the spring I54 with the handle I38 in the broken line position in Fig. 1. As the handle I38 is moved toward the handle 58 at the upper end of the arm 4 I, the last will be movedby the last-engaging member I02 toward the heel-seat-engaging member 80 to clamp the last and attached insole thereagainst. By pushing forwardly on the handles I3 8 and 58, the frame 40 is rotated about the pin 43'to' move the work toward the cutter II), as indicated by the broken lines of Fig; 2. By rotating'the last about the axes of the heel-seat-and last-engaging members, all portions of the heel seat of the insole may be presented to the cutter IIJto be trimmed thereby. Since the heel-seatengaging member 80 is fixed against endwise movement relativeto' the cutter I0, the-work will always bepresented to the cutter in the same plane regardlessof the heightiof the last to which it is attached. Since the support 44 is held against pivotal movement about the pin 62, the supporting frame 40 is movable only about the pin 43, thus obviating lateral guiding movement of the supporting frame by the operator. If it is desired to cause the last-engaging member I02 to be retracted further from the heel-seat-engaging member 80 to facilitate insertion of a higher last than that illustrated, the shaft I I6 is adjusted axially relative to the sleeve I32 by rotating the knob I36 attached to the outer endof the shaft H6.

If his desirable, as it may be when operating upon certain types of work, to permit tilting movement of the supporting frame and the, I

support 44 about the pin 62 during the trimming operationfthe stop screws I4 and I6 may be backed away from the support 48. For most types of work, however, the support 48 may advantageously be fixed against til-ting movement so as to render the trimming operation easier since the operator need uide the work in one direction only,'f-thus insuring greater uniformity oftrimming. I

As is apparent in Fig. 1, by mounting the heelseat and last-engaging members at the upper ends of the arms of the U -shaped frame 40, which frame is pivoted below the cutter I0, no portion of the supporting frame obstructs the operators vision'of the work during the trimming operation Which permits the operator to ascertain immediately whether the trimming is being done properly.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for trimming the edge of a sole attached to a last, a rotatable cutter, and

means for presenting a sole attached to a last to said cutter to be trimmed thereby, said means comprising a rigid U-shaped supporting frame pivoted on an axis below and substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said cutter, the arms of said frame extending upwardly from said axis, a sole-engaging member rotatably mounted at the upper end of one of said arms and held against endwisemovement relative thereto, a last-engaging member rotatably and slidably supported in the upper end of the other arm of said supporting frame in axial alinement with said soleengaging member, and means for moving said last-engaging member toward said sole-engaging member. 7

2. In a machine for trimming the edge of a sole upper end of one of the arms of said supporting frame and held against endwise movement relative thereto, a last-engaging memberrotatably and slidably supported in the upper end of the other arm of said supporting frame in axial alinement with said sole-engaging member, said last,- engaging member comprising a pin arranged to enter the thimble in the heel end of the'last and a collar on .said pin for engagement with the cone of the last, and means for moving said lastengaging member toward said sole-engaging member.

3. In a machine for trimming the edge of a sole attached to a last,.a rotatable cutter, and means for presenting a sole attached to a last to said cutter to be trimmed thereby, said means com prising a rigid U-shaped supporting frame pivoted on an axis below and substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said cutter, the arms of said frame extending upwardly from said axis, a sole-engaging member rotatably mounted at the upper end of one of the arms of said supporting frame and held against endwise. movement relative thereto, a last-engaging member rotatably and slidably supported in the upper end of the other arm of said supporting frame in axial alinement with said sole-engaging member, means for moving said last-engaging member toward said sole-engaging member, and means enabling tilting adjustment of said supporting frame about an axis extending substantially at a right angle to the axis about which the supporting frame is pivoted. l 4. In a machine for trimming the edge of a soleattachedto the last a cutter' mounted for rotation-about a substantially horizontal axis, a last-supporting frame, means supporting. said frame for tilting movement about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation 'of said cutter, said supporting means beingmounted for tilting movement about a horizontal axis substantially perpendicular tothe axis about which the supporting frame is tilted, means for adjustably locking said supporting means against tilting movement, and means carried by said supporting frame for supporting a last to which an insole has been attached for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said cutter.

5. In a machine for trimming the edge of a sole attached to a last, a cutter rotatable about a horizontal axis, a last-supporting frame, means supporting said frame for tilting movement about an axis below and substantially parallel to the axis of said cutter, said supporting means being mounted for tilting movement about a horizontal axis substantially perpendicular to the axis about which the supporting frame is tilted, a pair of adjustable stops carried by said supporting means and arranged to engage the frame at opposite sides thereof to limit the tilting movement of said frame relative to said bracket, a second pair of adjustable stops arranged to engage said sup porting means at opposite sides of the axis about which it is tiltably mounted to lock the supporting means against tilting movement, and means for supporting a last to which an insole has been attached in theiupper part 03E said sup porting frame for rotation about an axis sub: stantially parallel to the axis of said cutter with the. sole in the plane of rotation of the cutter.

6. In a machine for trimming the edge of a sole attached to a last, a cutter rotatable about a horizontal axis, a U-shaped last-supporting frame, means pivotally supporting said frame about an axis below and substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said cutter, said supporting means being mounted for tilting movement about a horizontal axis substantially perpendicue lar to the axis about which the frame. is pivoted, means for locking said supporting means in a selected position against tilting movement, saidlocking means being adjustable to permit limited tilting movement of .said s pporting means within adjustable limits if desired, and means for supporting a last having a sole at: tached thereto in the upper part of said frame for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said cutter with the sole attached thereto in the plane of rotation of the cutter.

I '7. In a machine for trimming the edge of a sole attached to a last, a cutter rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, a U-shaped lastsupporting frame, means pivotally supporting saidframe for tilting movement about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of said cutter, said supporting means being mounted for tilting movement about a horizontal axis substantially perpendicular to the axis about which the frame is pivoted, means for locking said supporting means in a s le p sition agai t in mo ment, a sole-engaging means at the upper end of one of the arms of the frame rotatably mounted about a a su s nt all rara t t axi o r ati n f said cut r means diu b securing said sole-engaging means against axial movement, a rotatable last-engaging member carried by the upper end of the other arm of said frame in axial alinement with said soleengaging means, and means for moving said lastengaging member toward and away from said sole-engaging member.

8. In a machine for trimming the edge of a sole attached to a last, a cutter rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, a guide adjacent to said cutter, said guide being constructed and arranged for engagement with the lateral surface .of the last adjacent to the heel seat, said guide including a lip arranged to hold the edge of the sole away from the last, a rigid u-shaped last: supporting frame pivoted for tilting movement about an axis below and substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said cutter with the arms of the frame extending upwardly, a heel-seatengaging member rotatably mounted in the upper end ofone of the arms of said frame and fixed against axial movement relative to said arm, a last-engaging member rotatably carried by the upper end o the other arm of said frame in axial alinement with said heel-seat-engaging member and movable toward and away therefrom, and means enabling axial adjustment of t e h a -ensae ne m m h eb a s t ac e a s an a n ne in. en a nt with said heel-seat-engaging member will be roperly presented to said cutter upon movement of said frame about its supporting pivot so that said guide will engage the edge of the last with the projection thereon between the last and the insole.

9. In a machine for trimming the edge of a sole attached to a last, a column, a drive shaft rotatably mounted at the upper end of said col-1 umn about a substantially horizontal axis. a cutter mounted on said shaft adjacent to said column, a horizontally extending arm rigidly at tached to said coiurrm below said cutter, a sup: port pivoted on said arm about a horizontal axis substantially at a right angle to the axis of ro tation of said cutter, a pair of adjustable stops between said arm and support for locking said support against movement relative to said arm, a last-supporting frame pivotally mounted said support for tilting movement about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of said cutter, said supporting frame including a pair of spaced rigidly connected upwardly projecting arms, a sole-engaging member mounted at the upper end of one of said arms for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said cutter and fixed against axial movement, a last-engaging member rotatably mounted at the upper end of the other of said arms and arranged for sliding movement coaxially of said sole-engaging member, and means for moving said last: engaging member toward and away from said sole-engaging member.

MERRILL N. FOLLANSBEE, 

